Map of the Mediterranean Sea and Mediterranean Sea Map Size Depth History Information Page other bodies of water The Mediterranean Sea was an important route for merchants and travelers during ancient times as it allowed for trade and cultural exchange between emergent peoples of the region. Several ancient civilizations were located around its shores; thus it has had a major influence on those cultures. It provided routes for trade, colonization and war, and provided food (by fishing and the gathering) for numerous communities throughout the ages. This inland sea is bordered on the north by Europe, the east by Asia, and in the south by Africa. This 969,100 sq. mile body of water is approximately 2,300 miles in length, and has a maximum depth of 16,896 ft. The typical Mediterranean climate is hot, with dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Major crops of the region include olives, grapes, oranges, tangerines, and cork. Major subdivisions include the Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Balearic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Ionian Sea and Ligurian Sea.

Mediterranean Sea | Article about Mediterranean Sea by The Free Dictionary Mediterranean Sea | Article about Mediterranean Sea by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Medical , Acronyms , Wikipedia . Mediterranean Sea [Lat.,=in the midst of lands], the world's largest inland sea, c.965,000 sq mi (2,499,350 sq km), surrounded by Europe, Asia, and Africa. Geography The Mediterranean is c.2,400 mi (3,900 km) long with a maximum width of c.1,000 mi (1,600 km); its greatest depth is c.14,450 ft (4,400 m), off Cape Matapan, Greece. It connects with the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar; with the Black Sea through the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus; and with the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.

Its chief divisions are the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian, and Aegean seas; its chief islands are Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete, Cyprus, Malta, Rhodes, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, the Sporades, the Balearic Islands, and the Ionian Islands. Shallows (Adventure Bank) between Sicily and Cape Bon, Tunisia, divide the Mediterranean into two main basins. The sea is of higher salinity than the Atlantic and has little variation in tides. The largest rivers that flow into it are the Po, Rhône, Ebro, and Nile. The shores are chiefly mountainous. Earthquakes and volcanic disturbances are frequent. The region around the sea has a warm, dry climate characterized by abundant sunshine. Strong local winds, such as the hot, dry sirocco from the south and the cold, dry mistral and bora from the north, blow across the sea. Fish (about 400 species), sponges, and corals are plentiful. In addition, oil and natural gas have been found in several sections of the sea. The overuse of the sea's natural and marine resources continues to be a problem.

History Some of the most ancient civilizations (see Aegean civilization Aegean civilization , term for the Bronze Age cultures of pre-Hellenic Greece. The complexity of those early civilizations was not suspected before the excavations of archaeologists in the late 19th cent. ..... Click the link for more information. ) flourished around the Mediterranean. It was opened as a highway for commerce by merchants trading from Phoenicia Phoenicia , ancient territory occupied by Phoenicians. The name Phoenicia also appears as Phenice and Phenicia. These people were Canaanites (see Canaan), and in the 9th cent. B.C. ..... Click the link for more information. . Carthage, Greece, Sicily, and Rome were rivals for dominance of its shores and trade; under the Roman Empire it became virtually a Roman lake and was called Mare Nostrum [our sea]. Later, the Byzantine Empire and the Arabs dominated the Mediterranean. Between the 11th and 14th cent., Italian city trading states such as Genoa, Venice, and Barcelona dominated the region; they struggled with the Ottomans for naval supremacy, particularly in the E Mediterranean.

Products of Asia passed to Europe over Mediterranean trade routes until the establishment of a route around the Cape of Good Hope (late 15th cent.). With the opening of the Suez Canal (1869) the Mediterranean resumed its importance as a link on the route to the East. The development of the northern regions of Africa and of oil fields in the Middle East has increased its trade. Its importance as a trade link and as a route for attacks on Europe resulted in European rivalry for control of its coasts and islands and led to campaigns in the region during both world wars. Since World War II the Mediterranean region has been of strategic importance to both the United States and, until its dissolution, the Soviet Union. In 1995 countries bordering the Mediterranean signed a pact agreeing to protect it by eliminating toxic waste disposal there over a 10-year period. Bibliography See E. D. Bradford, Mediterranean, Portrait of a Sea (1971); J. E. Swain, The Struggle for the Control of the Mediterranean Prior to 1848 (1973); M. Miloradov, ed., Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea (1987); M.

Grant, The Ancient Mediterranean (1988); D. Abulafia, The Mediterranean in History (2003); D. Abulafia, The Great Sea (2011). Mediterranean Sea an almost landlocked, intercontinental sea of the Atlantic Ocean, with which it is connected in the west by the Strait of Gibraltar. Parts of the Mediterranean are known by other names, such as the Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian, and Aegean seas. The Mediterranean basin also includes the Sea of Marmara, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov. Physical geography, GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS . The Mediterranean Sea lies between Europe, Africa, and Asia. The seas of the Mediterranean basin wash the coasts of Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Rumania, the USSR, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. In the northeast the Mediterranean is linked with the Sea of Marmara through the Dardanelles and further on with the Black Sea through the Bosporus. In the southeast the Suez Canal links it with the Red Sea.

Extending over an area of 2.5 million sq km, the Mediterranean has a water volume of 3,839,000 cu km, an average depth of 1,541 m, and a maximum depth of 5,121 m. Its mountainous shores generally have straight abrasion coastlines. In low-lying areas, lagoon-estuary or delta shorelines predominate. A Dalmatian coastline is typical of the eastern Adriatic. The largest gulfs are those of Valencia, Lions, Genoa, Taranto, Sidra, and Gabès. The major islands are the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus. The principal rivers flowing into the Mediterranean are the Ebro, Rhône, Tiber, Po, and Nile; they have a combined annual runoff of about 430 cu km. GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE BOTTOM . The floor of the Mediterranean Sea is divided into several basins with relatively steep continental slopes descending to depths of 2,000–4,000 m.

Along the coasts the basins are fringed by a narrow strip of shelf that widens only between the coasts of Tunisia and Sicily and within the Adriatic. In terms of geomorphology, the Mediterranean may be divided into Western, Central, and Eastern basins. The Western, or Algerian-Provencal, Basin has a maximum depth of more than 2,800 m and includes the basins of the Alboran, Balearic, and Li-gurian seas, as well as the Tyrrhenian Basin, whose depth exceeds 3,600 m. The Central Basin, which descends to more than 5,100 m, comprises the Central Depression and the basins of the Adriatic and Ionian seas. The Eastern, or Levantine, Basin, with a maximum depth of about 4,380 m, includes the basins of the Levantine, Aegean, and Marmara seas. The floor of some of the depressions is covered by Neogene-Anthropogene sedimentary and volcanic strata. In the Balearic and Ligurian seas the strata are up to 5–7 km thick.

Among the Messinian (Upper Miocene) deposits of the Western Basin there is a salt-bearing evaporite stratum more than 1.5–2 km thick that forms typical salt tectonic structures. Several large faults with extinct and active volcanoes extend along the edges and down the center of the Tyrrhenian Basin. Some of the volcanoes form large underwater mountains, such as the Lipari Islands and the Vavilov Volcano. Whereas the volcanoes along the margins of the Tyrrhenian Basin (those in the Tuscan Archipelago and Pontine Islands, Vesuvius, and the Lipari Islands) extrude acidic and alkaline lavas, the volcanoes in the central part of the Mediterranean Sea emit more abyssal, basic lavas (basalts). Parts of the Central and Eastern (Levantine) basins are filled with sedimentary strata, including thick deposits of river sediment, especially from the Nile. Geophysical studies of these basins have led to the discovery of the Hellenic Trough and the Central Mediterranean Ridge, a large arch rising to 500–800 m.

Off the coast of Cyrenaica, at the foot of the continental slope, lies the Libyan Trough, only slightly filled with sediment. The basins of the Mediterranean Sea differ greatly as to the time of their formation. Although a significant part of the Eastern (Levantine) Basin originated in the Mesozoic, the Algerian-Provencal Basin was formed in the late Oligocène and early Miocene, and some Mediterranean basins developed in the early and middle Miocene or in the Pliocene. Shallow basins existed over much of the Mediterranean Sea by the late Miocene (Messinian Age). During the deposition of salts in the Messinian Age, the Algerian-Provencal Basin was roughly 1–1.5 km deep. The salts accumulated because of strong evaporation and the concentration of brine as sea water flowed into the enclosed body through a strait that existed south of Gibraltar. The present depth of the Tyrrhenian Basin is the result of a subsidence of the floor during the Pliocene and Anthropogene (in the last 5 million years). Several other basins were also formed by the same relatively rapid subsidence.

The formation of the Mediterranean basins is believed to be related either to the moving apart of the continental crust or to the compression of the crust and its subsidence. Some scientists think that the basins are relict basins, the remains of the ancient Tethys Sea. Geosynclinal development continues in certain parts of the basins. Many parts of the sea floor are promising for petroleum and gas exploration, especially the area of the salt domes. On the shelf, petroleum and gas deposits are associated with Mesozoic and Paleogene beds. M. V. M URATOV CLIMATE . The climate of the Mediterranean Sea is determined by its position in the subtropical belt. Its specific characteristics make it a distinct type of climate, which has come to be called Mediterranean climate, marked by mild wet winters and hot dry summers. The trough of low atmospheric pressure that forms over the sea during the winter brings changeable weather with frequent storms and abundant precipitation. Cold north winds lower the air temperature. Local winds develop, such as the mistral over the Gulf of Lions and the bora in the eastern Adriatic.

In summer the crest of the Azores anticyclone affects most of the Mediterranean Sea, causing predominantly clear weather with few cloudy days and little precipitation. Dry fogs and a dusty haze carried from Africa by the southerly sirocco wind are observed during the spring and summer months. Stable northerly winds, called etesian winds, develop in the eastern part of the sea. The mean air temperature in January varies from 14°–16°C along the southern coast to 7°–10°C in the north; in August the mean temperature ranges from 22°–24°C in the north to 25°–30°C in the south. Evaporation from the surface of the sea reaches 1,250 mm a year (3,130 cu km). The relative humidity, 50–65 percent in summer, rises to 65–80 percent in winter. The incidence of cloudy days varies from 0–30 percent in summer to 60 percent in winter. The annual precipitation averages 400 mm (approximately 1,000 cu km).

It ranges from 1,100–1,300 mm in the northwest to 50–100 mm in the southeast, with the minimum occurring in July and August and the maximum in December. HYDROLOGICAL REGIME . The sea’s hydrological regime is governed by the rapid rate of evaporation and general climatic conditions. Because the expenditure of fresh water exceeds intake, the sea level is lowered, causing a steady influx of less saline surface waters from the Atlantic Ocean and Black Sea. Highly saline waters flow out along the bottom of the straits because of the differences in water density. Most of the water exchange occurs through the Strait of Gibraltar, where the surface current brings in 42,320 cu km of Atlantic water annually, and the lower current carries out 40,800 cu km of Mediterranean water. The corresponding annual inflow and outflow through the Dardanelles are 350 cu km and 180 cu km. The circulation of water in the Mediterranean Sea is chiefly the result of wind action. The main, almost zonal, Canaries Current carries waters largely of Atlantic origin along Africa from the Strait of Gibraltar to the shores of Lebanon.

In addition, there are cyclonic gyres in certain seas and basins to the left of the current. To depths of 750–1,000 m the water transfer is in one direction, with the exception of the Levantine intermediate counter-current, which carries Levantine waters from Malta westward to the Strait of Gibraltar along the coast of Africa. The velocities of the established currents are 0.5–1.0 km/hr on the open sea and up to 2–4 km/hr in some straits. In February the water temperature at the surface increases from north to south—from 8°–12° to 17°C in the eastern and central Mediterranean and from 11° to 15°C in the west. In August the average water temperature ranges from 19°C in the north to 25°C in the south; in the extreme east it rises to 27°–30°C. Rapid evaporation is responsible for the sea’s high salinity. From west to east the salinity increases from 36%c to 39.5%c.

The water density at the surface varies from 1,023–1,027 g per cu cm in summer to 1,027–1,029 g per cu cm in winter. During winter cooling, intensive convective mixing develops in areas of greater density, leading to the formation of highly saline and warm intermediate layers in the Eastern Mediterranean and highly saline and warm deep layers in the northern part of the Western Mediterranean, and in the Adriatic and Aegean seas. With respect to bottom temperature and salinity, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the warmest and most saline seas of the world ocean (12.6–13.4°C and 38.4–38.7). To a depth of 50–60 m the water is relatively transparent and has a deep blue color. Tides are mainly semidiurnal and less than 1 m high, but fluctuations in sea level may reach 4 m when tides are combined with wind surges, as in the Gulf of Genoa and on the northern coast of Corsica. Strong tidal currents are observed in narrow straits, such as the Strait of Messina.

The maximum turbulence occurs in winter, when the wave height reaches 6–8 m. PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE . The Mediterranean Sea is deficient in phytoplankton and zooplankton, which has resulted in relatively low populations of the larger animals, including fish, that feed on them. The quantity of phytoplankton in the surface layers is only 8–10 mg per cu m, and at depths of 1,000–2,000 m it is 10 or 20 times less. The algae are chiefly peridinians and diatoms. The fauna of the Mediterranean Sea consists of a great variety of species, none of which occur in great numbers. The sea is inhabited by dolphins, one species of seal (monk seal), sea turtles, and 550 fish species, including sharks, mackerel, herring, anchovies, mullet, dolphinfish, tuna, bonitos, and horse mackerel. About 70 fish species are endemic, among them skates, several species of anchovy, bullheads, blennies, wrasses, and needlefish.

The most valuable edible mollusks are the oyster, Mediterranean-Black Sea mussel, and date mussel. Among common invertebrates are octopuses, squids, Sepia, crabs, and spiny lobsters. The sea contains numerous species of jellyfish, siphonophores, salpas, and pyrosomes. In some areas, particularly in the Aegean Sea, there are sponges and red corals. I. M. O VCHINNIKOV ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY . Densely populated since ancient times, the countries along the Mediterranean, especially those along its northern shores, are highly developed economically. The Mediterranean basin accounts for more than one-tenth of the population of the capitalist world and produces approximately one-tenth of its industrial output. The Mediterranean countries produce a smaller proportion of the world agricultural output (about 1/15), although they are among the leading producers of citrus fruit (one-third of the world harvest), cotton, and oil crops. The Mediterranean Sea holds a special place in international trade and economic relations.

Located at the junction of Europe, Asia, and Africa, the Mediterranean Sea is an important transportation route for Europe’s maritime trade with Asia, North Africa, Australia, and Oceania. Important trade routes connecting the Soviet Union with foreign countries cross the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, major coastal shipping lines link the Black Sea ports with other Soviet ports. The importance of Mediterranean shipping for the Western European countries is steadily growing as these countries become increasingly dependent on imported raw materials. The total cargo handled by Mediterranean seaports almost doubled in ten years, reaching 780 million tons in 1971, of which European Mediterranean ports handled 480 million tons, or about one-third of the total cargo turnover of Western European ports. The Mediterranean Sea is especially important for petroleum shipping. It is the key “petroleum” route between Western Europe and the Middle East. The role of such southern ports as Marseille, Trieste, and Genoa in supplying Western Europe with petroleum is steadily growing; the southern ports handled 40 percent of Western Europe’s petroleum imports in 1972. Of the 250 million tons of petroleum imported through the Mediterranean ports, about half comes from North Africa and the remainder from the Middle East.

Pipelines connect the Mediterranean ports with the Western European countries, including Austria, West Germany, France, and Switzerland, and with the petroleum deposits of the Middle East and North Africa. Large shipments of various types of raw materials, metal ores, bauxite, and agricultural products pass through the Suez Canal, by which Western Europe maintains its ties with Asia and Australia. The largest ports are Marseille and its outer harbors (cargo turnover of 109 million tons) in France; Genoa (62 million tons), Augusta (42 million tons), and Trieste (38 million tons) in Italy; and al-Sidr (46 million tons) and Marsa al-Burayqah (33 million tons) in Libya. Many industrial enterprises have been built on the shores of the Mediterranean and on its islands. Chemical and metallurgical industries have developed using raw materials delivered by sea. Between 1960 and 1975 the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily, the mouth of the Rhone in France, and other regions became major centers of the chemical industry. Petroleum and gas extraction has begun on the Mediterranean shelf in the northern Adriatic, along the coast of Greece, and elsewhere.

Compared to other basins of the Atlantic Ocean, fishing is of secondary importance in the Mediterranean. The industrialization of the coastline, the growth of cities, and the development of recreation areas are polluting the coastal waters. The most famous resorts are on the Riviera in France and Italy, on the Levantine coast, and on Spain’s Balearic Islands. S. B. S Middle East | region, Asia, Africa, and Europe | Britannica.com Middle East region, Asia, Africa, and Europe Written By: Iraq Middle East, the lands around the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea , extending from Morocco to the Arabian Peninsula and Iran and, by some definitions, sometimes beyond. The central part of this general area was formerly called the Near East , a name given to it by some of the first modern Western geographers and historians, who tended to divide what they called the Orient into three regions. Near East applied to the region nearest Europe , extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf ; Middle East, from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia ; and Far East, those regions facing the Pacific Ocean .

The change in usage began to evolve prior to World War II and tended to be confirmed during that war, when the term Middle East was given to the British military command in Egypt . By the mid-20th century a common definition of the Middle East encompassed the states or territories of Turkey , Cyprus , Syria , Lebanon , Iraq , Iran, Israel , the West Bank , the Gaza Strip , Jordan , Egypt, Sudan , Libya , and the various states and territories of Arabia proper ( Saudi Arabia , Kuwait , Yemen , Oman , Bahrain , Qatar , and the Trucial States, or Trucial Oman [now United Arab Emirates ]). Subsequent events have tended, in loose usage, to enlarge the number of lands included in the definition. The three North African countries of Tunisia , Algeria , and Morocco are closely connected in sentiment and foreign policy with the Arab states. In addition, geographic factors often require statesmen and others to take account of Afghanistan and Pakistan in connection with the affairs of the Middle East.

Occasionally, Greece is included in the compass of the Middle East because the Middle Eastern (then Near Eastern) question in its modern form first became apparent when the Greeks rose in rebellion to assert their independence of the Ottoman Empire in 1821 (see Eastern Question ). Turkey and Greece, together with the predominantly Arabic-speaking lands around the eastern end of the Mediterranean, were also formerly known as the Levant . Use of the term Middle East nonetheless remains unsettled, and some agencies (notably the United States State Department and certain bodies of the United Nations) still employ the term Near East. Learn More in these related articles: Mediterranean migrants: Why and how they head to Europe - CNN.com MUST WATCH EU leaders tackle migrant crisis 02:23 One reason is that other routes -- through Saudi Arabia and to Israel -- have become more difficult: Israel has adopted a much tougher approach on would-be Eritrean migrants trying to enter the country through the Sinai desert, including detention, and Yemen's implosion has cut off that conduit.

As one Eritrean told the humanitarian journal IRIN last year : "People were traveling to Israel because it was the only way, and now they're traveling to Europe because it's the only way." Somalis, often seen as the third most numerous nationality among migrants headed to the Mediterranean, face a perfect storm of crises. "Extreme poverty; prolonged insecurity; sexual violence and other serious human rights violations; lack of access to basic needs such as food, medical services, healthcare and livelihoods" are all contributory factors, says the RMMS. Sea-tossed storm of human misery hits Italian shores West African exodus The IOM told CNN it is seeing a spike in would-be migrants from Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Gambia in West Africa. Many reason that Libya's chaos is an opportunity: border posts are left abandoned, the coastline unguarded. Most West Africans make the journey for economic reasons; the majority are single men in their twenties. Populations in the region are swelling but farmland and economic security shrinking. Often, say researchers, the oldest son leaves to find work so he can remit funds home -- perhaps misled by fables of riches.

Malakooti noted in a recent report that "unrealistic expectations of their migration is fueled by migrants in destination who rarely send negative news home because of the pressure on them to succeed." JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Surge in number of migrants trying to reach Europe 02:02 But West Africans who have sold livestock or other possessions only to be caught or stranded can face destitution when they return home: 400 Senegalese were recently repatriated from Libya by the Red Cross and IOM. Malians have the added incentive of the recent conflict in which jihadist groups seized nearly half the country before French-led intervention pushed them back. Joel Millman of the IOM says there's also been an increase in the number of Nigerian Christians following this route, escaping the chaos and brutality inflicted on their towns and villages by Boko Haram. Another disturbing phenomenon, according to Malakooti, is the trafficking of African women for prostitution to Italy through Libya. While still a small fraction of the overall migration, the number of women smuggled for sexual exploitation in Europe rose threefold in 2014, she says.

Why migrants are risking their lives to reach Italy Hubs and Routes A Geneva-based group, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, estimated last year that about half of West African migrants pass through the town of Agadez in northern Niger. A crackdown in 2013 on organized convoys leaving Agadez stemmed the flow for a while, but gangs from the Toubou tribe, which controls the cross-border trade, developed new routes and raised their prices. A migrant might pay as much as $300 to reach southern Libya in a truck or pick-up, according to researchers. Reliable figures on the numbers passing through Agadez are difficult to come by, but the consensus among experts is somewhere between 2,000 and 7,000 every month. Other hubs include Khartoum in Sudan, a way-station for migrants from East Africa, and Tamanrasset in southern Algeria, where a fake Malian passport aids passage. Algeria has also been a destination for Syrian refugees, but new visa requirements have forced them to seek other routes -- often through Turkey and the Greek islands .

JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Swedish FM: unforgivable we have let so many people die 02:33 Hundreds of thousands of other migrants have already been in Libya for years, attracted to jobs as day laborers when Moammar Gadhafi was in power. Now they face violence, discrimination and religious persecution -- and are unable even to remit home what little they earn. So at least some are embarking on a journey to Europe they never intended to take. Malakooti believes this is a major factor in the rising numbers trying to reach Europe. The recent murder of Egyptian and Ethiopian Christians by ISIS's Libyan affiliate may have hastened the departure of some. A similar dynamic applies to Syrian refugees. "Initially, they remained in Lebanon, Jordan and other neighboring countries to wait out the conflict," says Malakooti. Now they've given up, or the resources to accommodate them have evaporated -- and have decided to try to reach Europe and start over. Within Libya, the smugglers for the most part appear to be small groups or individuals rather than large networks, according to human rights organizations.

They cluster in dusty towns such as Sabha and Qatrun and use what are known as 'connection houses.' How is Europe going to tackle migrant crisis ISIS impact Those driving migrants to Tripoli may have no connection with gangs at the coast. Such a journey, across the desert to avoid checkpoints, might cost a migrant $200: in a failed state that sort of cash quickly generates armed rivalries. Tribal feuds, roaming militias and criminal gangs mean migrants need the skills of a smuggler. The arrival of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Libya has further complicated passage; in January jihadists killed 14 Libyan soldiers near Sabha. Malakooti detects a changing pattern since the Syrian conflict began. It has injected more money into the smuggling business, which has therefore become more organized. The more reliable groups can charge more; she says some migrants buy a "package" from smugglers that includes overland and sea travel. Syrian migrants are relatively better off than West Africans, and may pay more to guarantee a place on the top deck of a vessel. Africans are more often locked in the hold and are more vulnerable if a vessel sinks, or consigned to an inflatable dinghy.

JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Europe under pressure to address migrant crisis 02:33 Fearing arrest, the smugglers rarely travel on the boats themselves, instead giving a compass or GPS device to the migrants, who then set off with no navigational skills and often no experience of the sea in boats that should never have left port. As Libya becomes more dangerous for migrants, other countries on both sides of the Mediterranean are looking on anxiously. Some West Africans opt to travel through Morocco -- even though the chances of detection there are much greater and the sea crossing to Spain very difficult. "A migrant might need 50 or 60 attempts before making it to the Spanish coast," says Malakooti. Tunisia has massively increased security along its eastern border with Libya; both Algeria and Morocco have begun building fences along their border -- against both terrorism and clandestine migration. But they may be little deterrent. The Eritrean writer Abu Bakr Khaal made the desperate voyage to and across the Mediterranean himself. In his novel "African Titanics," he describes the "dangerous lure" of escape.

Only too late do the migrants discover a grim reality at sea: "'If God loved me he would not have brought me here,' groaned one of the passengers. Assured he had uttered the most fitting farewell to life, he threw himself into the sea. The boat moved forward at the whim of the waves." Hundreds of migrant deaths: What is Europe going to do? - CNN.com Two survivors were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, police say European officials propose a 10-point plan meant to address the crisis A survivor tells authorities that migrants were trapped behind locked doors (CNN) After a weekend shipwreck off the coast of Italy that may have killed hundreds of migrants, the International Organization for Migrants said Monday that there may be three more migrant boats in distress in international waters. Authorities still don't know the fate of many of the passengers, including children, who were on the large ship bound from Libya to Europe that capsized Saturday night in the frigid waters of the Mediterranean Sea. That sinking may be the worst in a series of disasters in which migrants have lost their lives on vessels that are too rickety to survive long voyages.

"Gangs of criminals are putting people on a boat, sometimes even at gunpoint," Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said. "They're putting them on the road to death, really, and nothing else." A rescue operation is still underway for people who were on the ship from Libya, and the number of potential victims is not clear. A Bangladeshi survivor told investigators there were 950 people on board. Previous estimates put the number around 700. Maltese authorities, who are working with Italian rescuers, said around 50 people had been saved. But the Italian Coast Guard said 28 people had been rescued and 24 bodies recovered. Read More Two of the survivors were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking upon arriving in Sicily, according to Italian police officer Maria Guia Federico. On Monday, European Union ministers met in Luxembourg and proposed a 10-point plan to help address the crisis.

"We are not yet working on numbers, but what we have agreed on today is, for sure, the need to increase significantly the resources at sea, and the level of the operation, doing more search and rescue and doing it more together," Federica Mogherini told CNN's "The World Right Now with Hala Gorani." The EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy said the European Union must fight human traffickers, strengthen Europeans' duty to save lives at sea and share responsibility when it comes to the resettlement and relocation of refugees. "We need to fight the organizations that are trafficking and smuggling people, so that we can prevent desperate people from leaving in desperate conditions," Mogherini said. "My pain is that it was a reaction coming too late after so many people died." Migrants have been attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to southern Europe for years, but authorities have reported a sudden surge in the past 10 days, along with a grim spike in the number of those who are killed en route. Already this year, more than 900 migrants are believed to have died while crossing the Mediterranean, far more than during the same period in 2014, the International Organization for Migration said last week .

Since the beginning of 2015, more than 35,000 refugees and migrants have crossed the Mediterranean Sea -- 23,500 have landed in Italy and more than 12,000 in Greece, according to the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights. While those numbers sound high, they were even higher the previous year. In 2014, approximately 219,000 refugees and migrants sailed across the Mediterranean, with most having to be rescued by the Italian Navy, Coast Guard or merchant ships, the UNCHR said. It is estimated that 3,500 people in 2014 died at sea. On Monday, yet another boat sank off the Greek island of Rhodes, killing at least three people, the Greek Merchant Marine Ministry said. Of the 83 people reported on board, at least 57 survived. Those confirmed dead were a man, a woman and a child. The latest disaster: 'Nothing less than a genocide' The capsizing of the ship that departed from Libya marked the worst such disaster so far.

As rescuers approached the boat in response to a distress call Saturday night, authorities say, migrants moved to one side, hoping to be saved. Their movement caused the large, multilevel boat to capsize about 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Libya, sending many passengers plunging into the sea. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Italian PM: We will do whatever it takes 01:43 "We're swamped," Sandro Gozi, the Italian minister for European affairs, told French daily Le Monde. "There's not even enough space in Sicily's cemeteries to bury the dead." An Italian search and rescue program, Mare Nostrum, was credited with rescuing more than 160,000 migrants in the space of a year. But it ended in October because of budget constraints and criticism from the European Union that the program itself was encouraging migrants to head across the Mediterranean. The European Union's border control agency, Frontex, started its own mission in November, known as Triton, with a budget of less than a third of that of Mare Nostrum.

Frontex has no vessels or surveillance equipment of its own, so has to rely on European member states to lend it ships. Europe's response: 'A total absence' of policy As anti-immigrant parties thrive across the continent, European nations are collectively struggling to cope with the migration crisis on their doorstep. "We can't act as if each tragedy is the last while crossing our fingers that another one doesn't happen," Gozi told Le Monde, lamenting "a total absence" of European Union policy on how to deal with refugees arriving in Europe. The European Commission, the executive branch of the EU, said Sunday it was consulting member states, European agencies and international organizations to prepare what it called a European Migration Strategy to be adopted in mid-May. "These are human lives at stake, and the European Union as a whole has a moral and humanitarian obligation to act," it said. But international groups say European governments are failing to do enough. Doctors Without Borders will begin its own rescue effort, De Filippi said, because "as a medical, humanitarian organization, we simply cannot wait any longer." CNN's Karl Penhaul, Hada Messia, Josh Levs and Catherine E. Shoichet and Khushbu Shah contributed to this report.

Black Sea Geography Map courtesy of the Black Sea Web Project. The Black Sea lies between southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. Excluding its northern arm, the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea occupies about 168,500 square miles (436,400 square kilometers). It is connected to the Aegean Sea through the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles, and has been of critical importance to regional commerce throughout the ages. This major inland sea is bordered by six countries — Romania and Bulgaria to the west; Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia to the north and east; and Turkey to the south. Additionally, it is impacted by another 10 nations through the five major rivers that empty into the Black Sea, the largest of which is the Danube River. The Bordering Countries The following is a brief geographic overview of the nations that border the Black Sea. Also see the History and Culture section to learn more about them. Bulgaria. This mostly mountainous nation, slightly larger than Tennessee, occupies 42,823 square miles (110,912 sq km) and is home to an estimated 7.6 million people.

The capital city is Sofia. About 85% of the people are ethnic Bulgarians, and nearly 10% are Turkish. The Golden Sands Resort along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. The Balkan Mountains cross the northwestern corner of Bulgaria to the Black Sea, sloping gradually to a plateau that ends at the Danube, the country's chief river. The southern side of the mountain range is bounded by narrow plains, such as the Thracian Plain, an important agricultural region. Forests cover about a third of Bulgaria, and the country has a wealth of minerals, mainly iron ore and coal. Bulgaria has mild summers and cold, snowy winters. In addition to agriculture (primary products: vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets), Bulgaria has major industries for the production of electricity, gas and water, food and beverages, machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, refined petroleum, and nuclear fuel. A major emphasis on the development of heavy industry occurred in the country after World War II. Chief exports include clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, and fuels. Varna , the country's largest city, is Bulgaria's principal port on the Black Sea.

Romania. With a total land area of about 91,700 square miles (237,500 sq km), Romania is slightly larger than the state of Oregon. More than 89% of the country's 22.3 million people are ethnic Romanians. Hungarians are the largest minority (about 8%), living chiefly in Transylvania. Romania's capital and largest city is Bucharest. A forest-lined lake fringes the Black Sea coast at Neptun, Romania. Romania is shaped roughly like an oval. The central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the lowlands of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps. Wild boar, wolves, bears, and deer may be found in the mountainous regions. The lowlands serve as important agricultural areas. The country's most important river, the Danube, flows through a delta in the Dobruja region into the Black Sea. More than 43% of Romania is cultivated. The chief agricultural products include wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, potatoes, grapes, eggs, and sheep.

The country's major industries include textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, and petroleum refining. Constanta is one of Romania's principal Black Sea ports. Monument to the scuttled ships of the Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol. Ukraine. The second largest country in Europe, Ukraine is mostly a broad, flat plain. At 233,090 square miles (603,700 sq km), Ukraine is slightly smaller than Texas and has an estimated population of 48.3 million. Over 73% are ethnic Ukrainians, while Russians represent the largest minority, at 22%. The capital and largest city is Kyiv (Kiev). Mountains are found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south. Deer, beaver, marten, vultures, and the steppe eagle are among the wildlife found in Ukraine. In the fertile soil of the central and southern regions, agriculture is a top industry, producing wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, beef, milk, vegetables, and sunflower seeds.

Other industry is based on the country's rich mineral resources, including coal, iron ore, manganese, bauxite, and salt. Odessa and Sevastopol are Ukraine's largest ports on the Black Sea. Russia. At nearly 6.6 million square miles (17 million sq km), Russia is the largest country in the world in geographic size, occupying more than one-ninth of the world's total land area. It is just slightly less than 1.8 times the size of the United States. Russia has a population of nearly 145 million. The majority live in European Russia, but sizable communities also live near mining and industrial centers. Russians are the predominant nationality at over 80%, with Tatars, Ukrainians, and Chuvash the largest minorities. Russia's three major geographic regions include European Russia, consisting of the territory west of the Ural Mountains; Siberia, stretching east of the Urals nearly to the Pacific Ocean; and far eastern Russia, including the extreme southeast and Pacific coast. Russia's capital and largest city is Moscow. European Russian is primarily a rocky, rolling plain with broad marshes. Its southern border includes the Caucasus Mountains, which extend between the Black and Caspian seas.

While the winters may be cool along the Black Sea coast, this part of Russia has a much more temperate climate than Siberia, where temperatures average -59°F in January and have reached as cold as 90 degrees below zero. Novorossijsk is Russia's only deep-water port on the Black Sea. It is a major oil port. Forests cover over two-fifths of Russia, amounting to nearly one-fourth of the world's forest area. The taiga, or boreal forest, in the north contains the world's largest coniferous forest, representing about half the Earth's softwood timber. Lowland areas have a natural vegetation of grasslands with scattered groves of trees. Russia's chief agricultural products include grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, fruits, beef, and milk.

The country has a complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, food stuffs, and handicrafts. Novorossijsk is Russia's primary Black Sea port. The port of Batumi on Georgia's Black Sea Coast. Georgia. The Caucasus Mountains dominate this country, which is slightly smaller than South Carolina, with a total area of 26,900 square miles (69,700 sq km). The main ridge of the Caucasus Mountains forms most of the northern boundary of Georgia, while the Lesser Caucasus Mountains occupy the southern regions. The Kolkhida Lowland opens to the Black Sea in the west. The uplands are dry, while the coastal climate along the Black Sea is very Mediterranean-like — warm and pleasant. The coastal climate and soils are conducive to growing tea, citrus fruit, hazelnuts, and grapes, which are important agricultural products.

Other industries include the mining of manganese and copper, the production of steel, aircraft, appliances, machine tools, chemicals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, wood products, and wine. Nearly 5 million people live in Georgia. Georgians form about 70% of the population, followed by numbers of Armenians, Russians, and Azeris. The capital and largest city is T'blisi. Batumi, Poti, and Sokhumi are the country's primary Black Sea ports. Turkey. The main area of Turkey, known as Anatolia, is in Asia while Turkish Thrace, representing about 3% of the nation's total area, is in Europe. At nearly 301,000 square miles (780,000 sq km), Turkey is a little larger than Texas. Its capital is Ankara, and Istanbul is the largest city. Istanbul, Turkey, links Europe and Asia. Copyright R. A. Taylor, Images of the World. Turkey is mostly mountainous, with a narrow coastal plain and high central plateau (Anatolia).

The country is located in several active seismic zones and is subject to frequent earthquakes.Thrace and the lands bordering the Sea of Marmara is a region of gently rolling hills rising in the east to Mount Ulu (Olympus) at 8,343 feet (2,543 meters). The Aegean and Mediterranean coastlands are narrow and hilly with little arable land, except for a plain in the east where cotton is grown. The steep slopes of the Black Sea coastline rise directly to the Pontic Mountains. The most mountainous area is the eastern highlands. This is where Mount Ararat is located, noted in the Bible as the place where Noah's ark came to rest. Over 67 million people live in Turkey. About 69% live in urban areas compared to only 21 % in 1950. Turks form about 80% of the population, while Kurds constitute most of the remaining 20%. Turkey is one of the few countries of the world that is self-sufficient in providing basic foods. Nearly half the work force is engaged in farming.

The chief crops include wheat, sugar beets, barley, tobacco, olives, cotton, citrus, tomatoes, melons, grapes, maize, livestock, and apples. Fishing also is important, with most of the catch coming from the Mediterranean and Black seas. In addition to rich agricultural resources, Turkey has significant deposits of lignite, coal, iron ore, and chromium. Its most important industry and largest export is textiles and clothing. Other major industries include food processing, automobiles, mining, steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, and paper. Turkey's principal port on the Black Sea is Istanbul . Welcome to the Black Sea Journey - History and Culture page The Treasures of an Ancient Sea The Black Sea is steeped in history and culture, a vital trading center linking Europe with Asia. Named Pontus Exinus ("the inhospitable sea"), the Black Sea was navigated and its shores colonized by the Greeks as early as the eighth century before Christ and later by the Romans in the third to first centuries B.C. Hagia Sophia, the "Church of the Holy Wisdom," in Istanbul, was the largest Christian church in the world for 1,000 years. Photo by George Luther.

Many of the colonial and commercial activities of ancient Greece and Rome, and of the Byzantine Empire, centered on the Black Sea. After 1453, when the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople (and changed its name to Istanbul), the Black Sea was virtually closed to foreign commerce. Nearly 400 years later, in 1856, the Treaty of Paris re-opened the sea to the commerce of all nations. Among its vast historical riches, the Black Sea region is home to the legend of Jason and the Argonauts and their search for the Golden Fleece, and the Biblical account of Noah's Ark. Troy, Constantinople, Istanbul, Sevastopol, Odessa, and Yalta are just a few of the names in this coastal area that have been etched in world history. From the Crusades to the recent collapse of the Soviet Union, the Black Sea has witnessed often-tumultuous religious and political change. In the face of countless conquests through the ages, the people of the Black Sea region have endured, and today represent a remarkable mixture of cultures and religions. The Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I across from the Hagia Sophia (above).

Photo by George Luther Today, this ancient sea means many things to the people who live on its shores. Still vitally important as a regional trading center, with major ports dotting its coast, the Black Sea continues to provide its inhabitants with treasured resources — major commercial fisheries, a diversity of marine life, world-class beaches, and perhaps a more tangible record of our past than previously imagined. The recent discovery of ancient wooden ships in the Black Sea, well-protected from shipworm attack in the oxygen-deprived waters, points to the new wonders these ancient waters may yield. The Black Sea and its six bordering countries — Bulgaria and Romania on the west, Ukraine on the north, Russia and Georgia on the east, and Turkey on the south — each have rich histories and cultures worthy of considerable exploration. Below is a brief snapshot of each country. We hope this Web page serves as your starting point for a closer look at this fascinating region! Turkey Julius Caesar proclaimed his celebrated words, "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey....

Part of Turkey's southwestern shore was a wedding gift that Mark Anthony gave to Cleopatra.... The Famous Trojan Wars took place in western Turkey, around the site where a wooden statue of the Trojan Horse rests today. These are just a few facts that point to the dramatic role that Turkey and its Black Sea shores have played in world history. While one of the oldest known human settlements is in Catalhoyuk (7500 BC), present-day Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. The Great Bazaar in Istanbul has 4,000 shops. Photo by George Luther. Istanbul, the bustling port city on the Bosporus, the narrow strait connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, is the only city in the world on two continents — Europe and Asia. Over a period spanning more than 2,000 years, it has been the capital of three great empires: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman, undergoing name changes from Byzantium to Constantinople to Istanbul along the way.

Before leaving port from Istanbul on their month-long expedition, our Black Sea expedition team visited several major attractions, including the palace of Suleyman the Magnificent, the famous Ottoman sultan, who wrote over 3,000 poems, some of them criticizing the greed of mankind; and the Great Bazaar, a 540-year-old covered shopping mall containing 64 streets, 4,000 shops, and 25,000 workers! Did You Know That? — About Bulgaria In Bulgaria, shaking your head from side to side means "yes," and nodding your head up and down means "no." Sofia's Alexander Nevski Church is the largest Orthodox Church in Europe. The Cyrillic alphabet was developed in Bulgaria by the saints Methodious and Cyril. Orpheus, the great musician of Greek myth, whose songs could charm wild beasts and coax even rocks to move, was said to have been born in the ancient land of Bulgaria. Bulgarian food uses minced or grilled lamb, beef, veal, pork, pickles, lamb's cheese, and yogurt. Ayran, a yogurt thinned with water, is a popular drink that looks like milk.

Traditional Shopska salad is made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers and topped with feta cheese. Bulgaria The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, formed the first Bulgarian state in the late 7th century. In 1389, Bulgaria was overrun by the Ottoman Turks and nearly 500 years later regained independence with Russia's help. Bulgaria fell under the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when the country held its first multi-party election since World War II and began moving toward democracy. In 2001, Simeon Borisov Saxe-Coburg, the former king of Bulgaria who was forced from his throne after World War II, returned to power as prime minister. Bulgaria is a tremendous mix of ethnic groups — Bulgars, Slavs, Thracians, Armenians, Greeks, Romans, and Turks. Some villages have a church, some have a mosque, and some have both. The former Soviet satellite is a peaceful nation — a rarity in the Balkans. Bulgaria relies on the Black Sea for fishing, commerce, and tourism at major beach resorts.

Varna is the country's largest seaport and second-largest city. Bourgas and Sozopol are the primary fishing ports. Did You Know That? — About Romania Ancient Tomis (present-day Constanta) has been associated with the legend of Jason and the Argonauts who embarked on a long voyage from Greece to Kolchis (Georgia) on the Black Sea coast in search of the Golden Fleece. The Roman poet Ovid was exiled to the Romanian coast by Emperor Augustus in 8 A.D. He wrote some of his most important work there, such as Tristia, which expresses his sadness at being far from home. Romania's Lake Rosca is home to Europe's largest pelican colony. Famous Romanians range from Count Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) in Transylvania to the modern sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Zakuska is a traditional spread made from roasted eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. Almost all Romanians enjoy mamaliga (polenta). Tripe soup is a specalty along the Black Sea coast. Romania This nation's history can be traced to the Roman colony of Dacia.

However, there are both strong European and Turkish influences, as Romania was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1877. Romania's political history of the past century has been marked by instability, violent revolution, and a current move toward economic restructuring in hopes of joining the European Union. Between 1930 and 1940, there were more than 25 different administrations. After World War II, newly crowned King Mihai was forced to abdicate, pressured by the Communists, and Romania became a "People's Republic." In the 1960s, Nicolae Ceausescu took over the Communist Party leadership and instituted increasingly oppressive measures. He was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Currently, the Social Democratic Party forms a nominally minority government, which governs with the support of the opposition Democratic Union of Hungarians. Romania has a chain of resorts, a "string of pearls," along the Black Sea coast. The largest urban center and seaport is Constanta. The sun, air, Black Sea water, and thermal mud treatments at these resorts are said to have restorative powers. Did You Know That?

— About Ukraine Sevastopol and Balakhava, important sites in the Crimean War, were immortalized in Tennyson's poem, "The Charge of the Light Brigade." The battleship Potemkin, the subject of the silent movie by Soviet filmmaker Sergey Eisenstein, was the scene of the 1905 mutiny in which the sailors joined angry Odessa residents in an uprising against the czarist government. Among Ukraine's many flavorful foods are borscht, Lvov sausage, and chicken Kiev. Fur caps, caviar, vodka, hand-painted pisanki and krashenki (Easter eggs), balalaikas are among the products that characterize Ukraine. In 1945 at Yalta, a resort on the Crimean Peninsula, the Allied leaders Churchill (UK), Roosevelt (US), and Stalin (USSR) completed plans for the defeat of Germany in World War II. Ukraine In the 9th century, Scandinavian traders conquered the area and established a kingdom in Kiev known as Kievan Rusin. During the 10th and 11th centuries, it was the largest and most powerful state in Europe.

Weakened by Mongol invasions, Kievan Rus was absorbed by Lithuania, then Poland, then Russia. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-1920), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that resulted in the death of over 7 million due to mass famine. Independence was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR. Ukraine has many strong connections to the Black Sea in terms of commerce, naval defense, fishing, and tourism. Famed literary figures Anton Chekov and Alexander Pushkin were said to have been inspired by the sea coast.

| Syrian Refugees , War & Conflict , Human Rights , Europe , US & Canada The number of refugees who arrived in Europe has topped 76,000 so far this year [Giorgos Moutafis/Reuters] More than 400 people have died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, and refugee crossings in the first six weeks of 2016 are running at nearly 10 times the rate of the same period last year, the International Organization for Migration said. The IOM reported on Tuesday that the number of arrivals topped 76,000, and the number of deaths shot up to 409 on Mediterranean routes, compared with 69 in the first six weeks of 2015. "The daily average of nearly 2,000 arrivals is nearly 10 times the daily average of a year ago," the IOM said in a statement . "IOM expects Greece to receive its one millionth migrant since the beginning of 2015 by some time next month." Inside Story: Can Turkey help stop the flow of refugees into Europe?

More than 1.1 million people fleeing poverty, war and repression in the Middle East, Asia and Africa reached Europe's shores last year, most of them heading for Germany. READ MORE: Deadliest January on record for refugees raises alarm Around half of the arrivals are refugees from the Syrian war, the UN Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, says. The IOM reported that 70,365 migrants and refugees had arrived by sea in Greece so far this year, and 5,898 in Italy. Some 319 have died while crossing the eastern Mediterranean from Turkey to Greece and 90 on the central route between North Africa and Italy. Joel Millman, an IOM spokesman, said that the organisation did not expect the number of migrant and refugee arrivals in Europe to fall in the foreseeable future. Map of Black Sea - World Seas, Black Sea Map Location - World Atlas The Black Sea is an inland sea located between far-southeastern Europe and the far-western edges of the continent of Asia and the country of Turkey. It's bordered by Turkey, and by Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Georgia.

It connects to the Mediterranean Sea first through the Bosporus Strait, then through the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles Strait, then south through the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Crete. Many rivers flow into the Black Sea but the two most important include the Danube and the Dnipro. Excluding the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea is 436,400 sq. km (168,500 sq. miles) in size, and has a maximum depth of 2200 meters (7,218 ft.). Over many centuries the Black Sea has been of critical importance to regional commerce. Today this body of water serves as a primary highway for the transport of energy to Europe from Russia and western Asia. This valuable economic conduit is one of the world's busiest waterways, and in 2005 over 55,000 ships, including almost 6,000 oil tankers passed through the Bosporus Strait, most carrying Russian oil. Mapping Mediterranean migration - BBC News BBC News Read more about sharing.

Close share panel In the space of a week, at least 750 migrants are feared to have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Many thousands of others have risked their lives this year, fleeing conflict and instability in Africa and the Middle East, in small, often decrepit vessels in an attempt to reach European territories. But the number of fatalities has risen dramatically in a matter of months. More than 2,200 lives have been lost since June, the UN refugee agency UNHCR believes. That is because of the big increase in numbers crossing the Mediterranean. While some 60,000 reached European shores in 2013, so far more than 130,000 have arrived in 2014. The majority of migrants head for Italy, prompting a crisis that the country's navy, coast guard and beleaguered immigration facilities are struggling to handle. Last October, 366 people died off the Italian island of Lampedusa when the fishing boat they were travelling in from Libya capsized. Nearly all the victims were Eritrean.

Migrants crossing in the central Mediterranean - from Libya and Tunisia - have until recently come mostly from Eritrea and Somalia, although increasing numbers of Syrians fleeing the country's civil war are also making the journey. Libya has become a popular starting point for many journeys, with people traffickers exploiting the country's power vacuum and increasing lawlessness. The relatively short distance to Lampedusa encourages more people to risk the journey. Migration charities believe that as many as 20,000 people may have died at sea trying to reach Europe in the last two decades. Malta's prime minister warned after the Lampedusa tragedy that the Mediterranean was in danger of becoming of a "cemetery" for desperate migrants. 'Age-old' issue Media captionMatthew Price, on board an Italian navy ship, witnesses a rescue unfold The number of people using the various routes across the Mediterranean has ebbed and flowed. From 2008-2012, large numbers of migrants crossed between Turkey and Greece via the so-called Eastern Mediterranean route, border management agency Frontex reports. In response, Greece bolstered border controls with an additional 1,800 police officers.

However, Frontex suggests that the area remains problematic, and points to "uncertainties related to the sustainability of [Greek] efforts, and evidence that migrants are waiting in Turkey for the end of the operation". Over the last decade, the central Mediterranean route has experienced periodic surges in migrant traffic. UNHCR figures suggest that some 25,000 people fled to Italy from North Africa in 2005, a number which dwindled to 9,573 in 2009. In 2011, this figure rocketed back to some 61,000, driven by the conflict in Libya which culminated in the downfall of Col Gaddafi. Earlier in the decade, the most popular route was from West Africa to Spain, including its North African territories of Ceuta and Melilla, and the Canary Islands, with some 32,000 irregular arrivals in 2006. This figure had dwindled to just 5,443 by 2011.

Question: Which sea has shores in Europe, Asia and Africa?
Answer: Mediterranean